The art describes many methods of producing liquid or semi-solid encapsulated pharmaceutical formulations. In Bull. Tech./Gattefosse Rep. (1996), 89, 27-38, authors Shah et al. describe hard gelatin capsule technology, particularly for use in enhancing the bioavailability of poorly soluble or poorly absorbed drugs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,974 (Hersh et al.) teaches a hard gelatin capsule comprising a telescoping two-piece cap with a lubricant comprising a polyethylene glycol of a molecular weight between about 200 and about 900 present in admixture with the composition at a concentration of from about 0.5 to about 25 weight percent.
WO 96/40071 (Lamberti) discloses methods and devices for producing minimal volume capsules. WO 96/41622 (Tanner et al.) teaches suspensions suitable for encapsulation in gelatin capsules, particularly including a solid phase of solid particles and a liquid phase capable of suspending the solid phase.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,512 (Cimiluca) teaches soft gelatin encapsulated analgesics in which the shell contains a xanthine derivative, such as caffeine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,391 (Kawata et al.) describes oily compositions for antitumor agents comprising at least one sparingly oil soluble or water-soluble antitumor drug, at least one fat or oil, and at least one solubilizing adjuvant in an oily vehicle, selected from crown ether, lecithin, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, vitamin E, polyoxyehtylene alkylether, and sucrose esters of fatty acids.
EP 0 815 854 A1 discloses a substantially translucent, semi-solid fill material for a soft gelatin capsule, the semi-solid material being sufficiently viscous that it cannot be expelled from the capsule with a syringe at room temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,988 (Brox) teaches soft gelatin capsules comprising a shell of gelatin, a softener and a filling of a polyethylene glycol and a low polyhydric alcohol and at least one active substance, characterized in that the shell contains 4 to 40 percent sorbital or sorbitanes, at least half of the weight of polyethylene glycol used is a polyethylene glycol having a mean molecular weight of 600, and the capsule filling comprises up to 20% by weight of glycerol and/or 1,2-propylene glycol.
WO 95/19579 (Dhabhar) teaches a process for solubilizing difficulty soluble pharmaceutical agents in a mixture of polyethylene glycol and propylene glycol by using a polyvinylpyrrolidone with a specific viscosity average molecular weight of from about 5,000 to about 25,000.
This invention provides orally administerable formulations for N-[4-(5H-pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepin-10(11H)ylcarbonyl)-3-chlorophenyl]-5-fluoro-2-methylbenzamide, also known as VPA-985, or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, which has the structure: 
VPA-985 is a V2 receptor antagonist (vasopressin antagonist) with the ability to elicit the removal of water in mammals, without the excretion of necessary electrolytes. The synthesis of this compound and its salts is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,774 (Albright et al.), which is fully incorporated herein by reference. VPA-985 can be seen as Example 482 in U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,774. This compound is highly insoluble in both conventional, orally acceptable oils, such as safflower or sesame seed oils, and in aqueous systems. Therefore, its pharmaceutical formulation requires a novel approach.
The formulations of this invention comprise (by % w/w):
a) from about 1% to about 20% of N-[4-(5H-pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepin-10(11H)ylcarbonyl)-3-chlorophenyl]-5-fluoro-2-methylbenzamide, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, preferably from about 5% to about 16% of this active ingredient;
b) from about 1% to about 18% of a surfactant component, preferably from about 5% to about 10% of the surfactant component;
c) from about 50% to about 80% of a component of one or more polyethylene glycols (PEG), preferably from about 55% to about 70% of one or more different molecular weight grades of polyethylene glycols; and
d) from about 1% to about 20%, preferably from about 5% to about 15% and more preferably between about 8% and about 12%, of a component of:
i) one or more sucrose fatty acid esters; or
ii) a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) with a K value between about 15 and 90, preferably with a K value of from about 17 as defined in USP/NF; or
iii) a combination of one or more sucrose fatty acid esters and a PVP, as defined above.
The polyethylene glycol component may be comprised of one or more PEG polymers, preferably commercially available PEG polymers between PEG 200 and PEG 4,000, i.e. those PEG polymers having an average molecular weight between about 190 and about 4800. More preferred are PEG polymers between average molecular weights of from about 190 to about 3450, most preferably between about 400 and 1540. Among the preferred PEG polymers are PEG 400, having an average molecular weight between about 380 and about 420, and PEG 1,000, having an average molecular weight between about 950 and about 1050. The ratio of high and low molecular weight PEG species within the PEG component is preferably from about 2.5:1 to about 1:2.5, more preferably about 1:1. As an example, a preferred blend of PEG polymers within this invention would include a 1:1 blend of PEG 400 and PEG 1000. It may be preferable to choose a mixture of PEG components which will have a melting point at or near the physiological temperature of the mammal to receive the formulation. Mixtures of final components which have a viscosity range of from about 140 to about 1500 centipoise at 37xc2x0 C. may be preferred, more preferably a range of from 300 to about 800 centipoise at 37xc2x0 C.
The surfactants that may be used with the present formulations include, but not limited to, polysorbate 20 (polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monolaurate), Polysorbate 60, Polysorbate 40, polysorbate 80, Span 80 Sorbitan Oleate, a product of ICI Americas, Wilmington, Delaware, polysorbate 81, polysorbate 85, polysorbate 120, bile acids and their salts defined by Martindale The Extra Pharmacopoeia Thirtieth Edition on page 1341-1342 such as Sodium taurocholates, Sodium deoxytaurocholates, Chenodeoxycholic acid, and ursodeoxycholic acid, and pluronic or poloxamers such as Pluronic F68, Pluronic L44, Pluronic L101, or combinations of one or more of the above. Polysorbate 80, by itself or in combination with one or more other surfactants, is preferred for use with this invention.
The sucrose fatty acid esters useful with this invention include those commercially available and art recognized esters useful for orally administered pharmaceutical compositions, including monoesters, diesters and triesters of sucrose, or mixtures or blends thereof. Specific examples of esters useful with this invention are sucrose monolaurate, sucrose monomyristate, sucrose monopalminate, sucrose monostearate, sucrose distearate, sucrose tristearate, sucrose trimyristate, and sucrose tripalmitate, or combinations thereof.
In addition to these components, other enhancing or protective pharmaceutically acceptable antioxidants or preservatives may be added to the compositions of this invention to comprise up to about 4% of the composition, by weight, more preferably up to about 3%. Examples may include ascorbyl palmitate, benzyl alcohol, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), etc. Examples of these components in the present formulations would include BHA at a concentration from about 0.3% to about 2.5% (% w/w) and BHT at a concentration from about 0.005% to about 0.15% (% w/w), preferably with a mixture of BHA and BHT within these ranges.
A formulation of this invention utilizing one or more of these antioxidants or preservatives comprises:
a) from about 1% to about 20% of N-[4-(5H-pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepin-10(11H)ylcarbonyl)-3-chlorophenyl]-5-fluoro-2-methylbenzamide, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, preferably from about 5% to about 16% of this active ingredient;
b) from about 1% to about 18% of a surfactant component, preferably from about 5% to about 15% of the surfactant component, more preferably from about 8 to about 12% of the surfactant component;
c) from about 50% to about 80% of a component of one or more different molecular weight grades of polyethylene glycols (PEG), preferably from about 55% to about 70% of one or more polyethylene glycols;
d) from about 1% to about 20%, preferably about 5% to about 15%, of one or more sucrose fatty acid esters or polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) with a K value between about 15 and 90, preferably with a K value of from about 17 as defined in USP/NF; and
e) from about 0.1% to about 4%, preferably from about 0.1 to about 3%, of one or more preservatives or antioxidants, for example from about 0.3% to about 2.5% (% w/w) BHA and/or from about 0.005% to about 0.15% (% w/w) BHT.
One preferred embodiment of this invention provides a pharmaceutical formulation comprising:
a) from about 5% to about 16% of N-[4-(5H-pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepin-10(11H)ylcarbonyl)-3-chlorophenyl]-5-fluoro-2-methylbenzamide, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;
b) from about 5% to about 10% of a surfactant component;
c) a component of from about 55% to about 70% of one or more different molecular weight grades of polyethylene glycols;
d) from about 5% to about 15% of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) with a K value between about 15 and 90, preferably with a K value of from about 17 as defined in USP/NF; and
e) from about 0.3% to about 2.5% (% w/w) BHA and from about 0.005% to about 0.15% (% w/w) BHT.
Preferably, the formulations of this invention are enclosed in a sealed enclosure after manufacture, such as soft or hard gelatin capsules. The formulations of this invention may be created as a liquid or semi-liquid formulation and introduced into a capsule. Similarly, using an acceptable range of components and/or temperatures, the formulation may be made as a gel or solid prior to encapsulation.